2011-2012 $5 FULL MOON STERLING SILVER AND NIOBIUM 4-COIN SET

Highlights:
By undertaking the technical complexities of producing a niobium coin, these Royal Canadian Mint 'firsts' set the bar high for unmatched color and luster. Each niobium core was selectively oxidized to create a unique finish no two coins are exactly alike!

Coin design:
A young buck stands poised before a full Summer moon; a hunter patiently tracking his quarry; a howling wolf set against a backdrop of a full Winter moon; a cluster of phlox blossoming before a Spring moon. Each coloring selectively applied to the niobium insert enhances the seasons theme.

Packaging:
Coins are encapsulated and presented in a wooden flip case, lined with flock and protected by a black sleeve.

Timekeeper for the Algonquin people.
In North America, the First Nations tribes that comprise the Algonquin people looked to the moon to track time. They assigned a name to every full moon to reflect the seasonal activities that accompanied each cycle. Theirs was a vast territory that extended from Lake Superior to the eastern seaboard, resulting in a variety of names throughout the Algonquin community. The buck, hunter, wolf and pink full moons represent summer, autumn, winter and spring.

July is the quintessential month of summer. Its full moon is known as Thunder Moon or Summer Moon, but its most common name is Buck Moon to reflect the fact that bucks in the North American wilderness are beginning to grow new antlers a vision of elegance and strength inspired by the ever-changing cycle of life.

Specifications:

Mintage7500
Composition92.5% silver, 7.5% copper (outer ring) niobium (inner core, reverse) and 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper (inner core, obverse)
Finish proof
Weight (g) 8.5
Diameter (mm) 28
Edgeinterrupted serrations
Certificateserialized
Face value: 5 dollars